Leyton controls Garden County

DALTON - Leyton controlled Garden County in three sets to open its volleyball season Thursday, winning 25-8, 25-14, 22-12.

Madelyn Watchorn opened the season with an ace serve, and the Lady Warriors never looked back, rolling out to a 10-point lead, 14-4 by mid-set in the opener. Senior Hope Dykman contributed five service points to the run, three of them aces.

The closest Garden County came to the Lady Warriors all evening was early in the second set, trailing by just one point, 5-4. But Leyton outscored the Lady Eagles 6-1 to take a commanding lead. In the final set, Leyton again jumped to an early lead, 13-6, with Cheyenne Nickel serving a six-point burst.

Freshman Megan Ernest gave the Lady Warriors a 22-12 lead with five straight points.

Leyton Coach Jodi Craig was pleased with her team's performance in the opener, saying the team's execution on offense and serve-receive were highlights.

"We're still looking to see if we've got the right girls in the right position," Craig said. "We're not sure if they're in the right positions yet, but they played well where we put them."

Leyton's next match is Friday at Wallace, then the Lady Warriors travel to Oshkosh for tournament play Saturday.